19th Century Scholar's Objects

Set alongside the four treasures of the study - the calligraphy brush, ink, paper, and inkstone - a brush rest was an essential fixture of the Chinese scholars' desk. This early 19th...

For sale is a small inkwell from the Japanese Meiji era. It was hand-made around the turn of the 19th/20th century out of Satsuma clay. Satsuma ware (???, Satsuma-yaki) is a type of ...

Set alongside the four treasures of the study - the calligraphy brush, ink, paper, and inkstone - a brush rest was an essential fixture of the Chinese scholars' desk. This 19th-centu...

One of the finest Japanese Maki-e Suzuribakos (ink box) we have on offer, the roiro color box showcases an ambient nocturnal scene in which two shakudo inlaid crows perched on the ha...

Antique Chinese Honey Quartz Dragon Snuff Bottle, a flat rectangular form with rounded shoulders and footed base of a golden coloured translucent material with horizontal striations ...

Nice and Beautifully painted pair of hatstand vases with Rice paddy scene and calligraphy. Great quality. Featuring a great landscape Marked at base. Condition Both vases with some...

19th-C. Chinese Lacquered and Polychromed Scholars Block/Paperweight with Custom Box China, 19th century, complete with later custom box This 19th-century Chinese lacquered and polyc...

An elegant Korean serving tray / personal dining table, carved and joined zelkova (keyaki) wood, Joseon Dynasty, mid 19th century, Korea. The elegant and sturdy tray table, known as...

A Pair of Wooden Clogs (Namaskin), Korea, Joseon Dynasty, 19th Century with curved tips. Provenance: Private Australian Collection. Dimensions: Height: 12.5cm. Width: 28cm. Depth: ...

A Chinese Hardwood Gnarled Root Brush Pot, Late 19th Century This decorative container is used to hold writing brushes and popular during the Qing dynasty (1644–1911). It was revere...

Antique gold/opium bamboo scale with built-in abacus, Chinese, 19th century Fitted into a bamboo case are a brass tray with bronze weights and a bone beam with measuring marks. Th...

A 19th century Chinese Inkstone. The upper part decorated with floral lotus motives serving as water basin. The Inkstone was one of the four principal ele...

Qing dynasty (1644-1911) burl scroll pot (Scholars Pot), China.

China, single piece carved Agate Brush washer / Rinser, 19th Century 7.5 x 9.3 cm, height 4.5 cm

A small Korean ceramic water dropper in square form circa 19th century late Joseon Dynasty. It features an underglaze blue painting of a full cluster of ...

This small ceramic container from Edo period Japan circa 1800s was made in the Takatori Kilns in Fukuoka Prefecture. This type of small, tall jar with a lid was specifically created ...

Chinese wood puppet head, 19th century, mounted on contemporary stand. Simple puppet head of a male figure, carved out of a single piece of wood, with ...

Antique Middle Eastern Brass Inkwell Qalamdan. A 19th century brass decorated Middle Eastern Islamic Qalamdan. The Qalamdan is in solid brass, etched on all sides with engraved geom...

An Antique Indian Bronze Shiva Lamp, 19th Century Provenance: Private Australian Collection. Dimensions: Height: 8.5cm. Width: 7.5cm. Depth: 8cm.

A refined and elegant pair of huanghuali nesting trays. An exotic hardwood, huanghuali (which translate to "yellow flowering pear wood"), has long been prized in China. These trays would originally have graced the desk of a scholar and aided him in his scholarly pursuits. The larger tray features a wonderful golden hue, and a prized "ghost face...

An antique Burmese set of sixteen double-sided Kammavaca or Buddhist manuscripts, written in Bali in red and black lacquer on a gold leaf ground. This set is accompanied by the original pair of gold leaf and red lacquer pictorial cover boards. Kammavaca are volumes consisting of extracts from the Theravadin Vinaya, that relates to the traditional ceremonies of monks. Together with a manuscript chest...

Set alongside the four treasures of the study - the calligraphy brush, ink, paper, and inkstone - a brush rest was an essential fixture of the Chinese scholars' desk. This 19th-centu...

A ceramic dish with high cylindrical foot in white glaze from Korea, circa 19th century Joseon Dynasty. By shape, this piece is most likely a ceremonial vessel that was used to make offerings on the altar. Although without inscription, we can't rule out that it could be a household item for occasions that were less formal. Such as a private shrine in the household. During Joseon dynasty, the social morals were largely centered on the principles of Confucianism that originated from China. Many ritual ceramic wares were produced for rituals and worships on all level of the society. The ware were often modeled after the archaic bronze ware that elevated them from the aesthetic of daily use pieces. High foot dish like this were made in both round and square shape to suite different use but they were all distinguished with the inscription for their exclusive ceremonial purpose. Of elegant form and harmonious proportion, this stem dish...

Lovely Chinese porcelain plaque.Dating to the 1920's or 30's. Depicting Wang Xizhi (c. 303-c. 361) looking at his geese Condition Just crackle lines to the front. Size 13.5x22.5CM D...

Hand carved intricate Chinese scholar's bamboo brush pots with brass rings and script. Original warm patina and some cracks as photographed present, c...

A fine porcelain water dropper from Korea circa 19th century of the late Joseon Dynasty. Water dropper is one of the essential scholar objects in the Confucius Joseon society where ink calligraphy was considered an important cultivation of an educated man. The water dropper is a small contained made to drop the water onto the ink stone to grind the ink stick for writing. These miniature objects were made in various forms as little wonders as a desktop accessory for the Scholar's study. The water dropper on offer was made of porcelain and covered in a grey celadon glaze. It was molded in the form of a beach with finely sculpted stalk and leaves. A slight red was dotted on the two openings. The surface also has a carved grape or pomegranate motifs under the glaze. There is some slightly running of the celadon glaze on top. The base has residues of kiln grits. Although the peach form was perhaps one of the most common ones among the Korean water droppers...

Set alongside the four treasures of the study - the calligraphy brush, ink, paper, and inkstone - a brush rest was an essential fixture of the Chinese scholars' desk. This 19th-centu...

A Chinese Qing dynasty red lacquered lidded scroll box from the 19th century with distressed gold chinoiserie motifs. This exquisite Chinese Qing dynasty red lacquered lidded scroll ...

Discover a piece of history with this 19th-century double snuff bottle, hand carved from the captivating azurite malachite stone, renowned for its vibrant interplay of green and purp...

This exceptional celadon jade brush wash epitomizes the pinnacle of Chinese craftsmanship. Carved in the form of a hollowed peach, the piece showcases intri...

The Japanese smoking pipe or Kiseru was used to smoke only a tiny pinch of kizami tobacco (about 25 mg). This particularly original and beautifully ex...

A Korean ceramic water dropper in the shape of a mountain from late Joseon Dynasty circa 1850-1900s. The lovely piece takes a shape of a rugged mountain peak with crags and furrows, ...

A Chinese Hardwood Gnarled Root Brush Pot, Late 19th Century This decorative container is used to hold writing brushes and popular during the Qing dynasty (1644–1911). It was revere...

A Chinese Hardwood Gnarled Root Brush Pot, Late 19th Century This decorative container is used to hold writing brushes and popular during the Qing dynasty (1644–1911). It was revere...

Dating from the early 19th century or Qajar period, this antique hand painted pen box is done in a series of bordered vignettes of Persian men and animals ...

This fine Chinese porcelain snuff bottle is a beautiful example of fencai, or "famille rose," decoration, known for its soft and intricate color palette. The bottle is crafted in a c...

A Chinese antique Qing dynasty scholar's lamp-hanger armchair from the late 19th century, with sinuous pierced splat, dark patina, curving arms and side stretchers. This exquisite Ch...

This curious object is a late 19th-century Chinese water dropper, a calligraphy accessory that would have been found upon a scholar's painting ta...

Set alongside the four treasures of the study - the calligraphy brush, ink, paper, and inkstone - a brush pot was a fixture of every traditional scholars' desk. This small wooden bru...

A furo tearoom brazier by Raku Kichizaemon XI Keinyu (1817-1902) decorated in bold style over a brick red glaze. The classical scene depicts men in ‘mino’ straw raincoats pulling a barge up river under the overhanging branches of an ancient willow tree. With makers mark to base and sold with its original paulownia wood storage box. Overall the piece is in excellent condition but has sustained several stress cracks in one corner due to heat encountered during continual use. This is typical of Japanese raku ceramics...

Chinese Rosewood brush holder (pen pot) circa late Qing dynasty. Finely carved on surface with a sitting Buddha on lotus throne holding his hands in Vitarka mu...

Pair of Chinese jadeite hand carved brush pots o the stands, mid 19th century. Each brush pot 3 1/8" x 2 7/8" X 5/16" and comes on 1" wooden carved st...

A charming and elegant Chinese brush washer in the form of a recumbent spotted deer, Qing dynasty, circa 1850. The graceful animal modeled with ...

Beautiful organic shaped Cypress root brush pot. This cypress root was carved out to hold the scholar’s calligraphy brushes. The aged natural patina enhan...

A Japanese lacquered tea caddy (known as Natsume) with fine Maki-e decoration circa 18-19th century Edo to Meiji period. The large-sized nat...

An antique Korean ritual incense burner circa 19th century, late Joseon dynasty. It was made in Bunwon Kiln in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Do, near Seoul. The ceramic container has a thickly b...

A lovely Korean ceramic water dropper in the form of a sitting dog circa 19th century late Joseon Dynasty. The charming animal form features underglaze blue paint outlining the furs ...

Beautiful organic shaped Cypress root brush pot. This cypress root was carved out to hold the scholar’s calligraphy brushes. The aged natural patina enhan...

Beautiful organic shaped Cypress root brush pot. This cypress root was carved out to hold the scholar’s calligraphy brushes. The aged natural patina enhan...

Carved bamboo vessel in the form of a standing elephant with it's trunk curled to one side, and the legs slightly turned in, following the natural form of the piece of bamboo. the to...

Beautiful organic shaped Cypress root brush pot. This cypress root was carved out to hold the scholar’s calligraphy brushes. The aged natural patina enhances the beautiful wood grain...

foo lion decorated with a pleasant facial expression

Tri-pod ceramic bowl likely used as an incense burner (koro) by Japanese Imperial potter Makuzu Kozan (1842-1916) circa late Meiji period. The signature indicates that it was produce...

This is a beautiful 19th century Chinese brush pot made from a hardwood root. The root brush pot has natural gnarled surface with many knots and indents, the top edge is softly rou...

An antique Mongolian horn snuff bottle, finely crafted with a swivel stopper circa: 1900, Late 19th Century

The object depicts a Buddha sitting on a decorative base, holding a small red object. The Buddha figure is rendered with a smiling, serene expression typical of traditional iconograp...

Japanese Meiji period fine pair of scroll weights decorated with shakudo and silver samurai figures. The weights fill solid and heavy. One of the weights has Japanese writing ( see i...

This pair of camphor storage boxes has its original lacquer finish. The construction is of standard mortise and tenon joints.

Conch shell recipient and container for holy water used in ceremonies. Known as “Buddha ears”, they were mounted as a sound instrument. Such shells are important ritual objects in Tibetan Buddhism...

Chiselled and gilt bronze inkwell made of with a scalloped red lacquer tray with a moulded gilt bronze edge with a decor of gadroons, flowers and foliage. Chinese style red lacquer t...